Gilmore Commission - Second Annual Report Recommendations

Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction

SECOND ANNUAL REPORT: APPROVED RECOMMENDATIONS

Executive Branch:

• Develop national strategy approved by the President

• Create a "National Office for Combating Terrorism"
  - Director appointed by the President, confirmed by the Senate
  - Point of contact for the Congress
  - Strategy formulation
  - Plans Review
  - Multidisciplinary staffing
  - No operational control
  - Specified control of Federal programs/budgets
  - Supported by Advisory Board for Domestic Programs
  - Assistants for Domestic Preparedness, Intelligence, Health and Medical, RDT&E/National Standards, and Management and Budget

Congress:

• Create a "Special Committee for Combating Terrorism"
  - Bipartisan membership with full-time staff from relevant committees
  - Direct link to the new "National Office for Combating Terrorism"
  - Develops consolidated legislative plan for authorization, budget, and appropriations
  - Clearinghouse and first referral for relevant legislation

Functional Recommendations:

• Enhance Intelligence/Threat Assessments/Information Sharing
  - Improve human intelligence by rescinding CIA guidelines on certain foreign informants (DCI)
  - Improve measurement and signature intelligence through enhanced RDT&E (Intelligence Community)
  - Review/modify guidelines and procedures for domestic investigations (Review Panel/Attorney General)
  - Review/modify authorities on certain CBRN precursors and equipment (Executive and Congress)
  - Improve forensics technology/analysis, and enhance indications and warnings systems (National Office)
  - Provide security clearances and more information to designated State and local entities (National Office)
  - Develop single-source, protected, web-based, integrated information system (National Office)

• Foster Better Planning/Coordination/Operations
  - Designate Federal Response Plan as single-source "all hazards" planning document (National Office)
  - Develop "model" State plan (NEMA and FEMA)
  - Conduct inventories of State and local programs for nationwide application (National Office)
  - Promote/facilitate the adoption of multi-jurisdiction/multi-state mutual aid compacts (National Office)
  - Promote/facilitate adoption of standard ICS, UCS, and EOC (National Office)
  - Designate agency other than DoD as "Lead Federal Agency" (President)

• Enhance Training, Equipping, and Exercising
  - Develop input to strategy and plans in close coordination with State and local entities (National Office)
  - Restructure education and training opportunities to account for volunteers in critical response disciplines
  - Develop realistic exercise scenarios that meet State and local needs (National Office)

• Improve Health and Medical Capabilities
  - Obtain strategy input/ program advice from public health/medical care representatives (National Office)
  - Promote certification programs for training and facilities (National Office)
  - Clarify authorities and procedures for health and medical response (All jurisdictions)
  - Improve surge capacity and stockpiles (All jurisdictions)
  - Evaluate and test response capabilities (All public health and medical entities)
  - Establish standards for communications/mandatory reporting (All public health/medical entities)
  - Establish laboratory standards and protocols (All public health/medical entities)

• Promote Better Research and Development and Developing National Standards
  - Develop, with OSTP, equipment testing protocols and long-range research plan (National Office)
  - Establish national standards program with NIST and NIOSH as co-leads (National Office)

• Enhance Efforts to Counter Agroterrorism

• Improve Cyber Security Against Terrorism

For more information, see the full report (PDF).